Permanent binder for paper sheets



H. H. MILLS.

PERMANENT BINDER FOR PAPER SHEETS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 20, 1920.

1,372, 1 61 Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

' I java/v33 705 I Elgar/fa.

Cir

HERBERT H. MILLS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PERMANENT BINDER non rerun sr-rnn'rs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

Application filed September 20, 1920. Serial No. 411,609.

To cZZ QUZLOWL may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT H. Mums, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPermanent Binders for Paper Sheets, of which the following is a specification.

hily invention relates to binders and particularly J0 a novel device adapted to permanently secure a quantity of sheets between binder covers. y

The general objects of my invention are to provide simple and relatively very economical means for securing the desired result, the idea. being to employ a device of this kind as a form of transfer binder in which sheets which are intended to form a portion of a permanent record may be held in their original relation without the possibility of removal. This serves the purpose not only of avoiding the removal and possl; ble loss of records which are intended. to be permanent but avoids the expense of binding such records as is the practice at the present time. I y l I A specific object is to provide a device oi: this kind which may be operated. by unskilled or inexperienced clerks without the possibility of error.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein, i Figure l is a perspective view or the different parts constituting the device of my invention Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a binder with which my improvement is associated, and,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the locking ele ment, the bindlng posts being shown in section.

In the drawings it will be seen that I may provide upper and lower boards or covers 1.0, 11, each thereof carrying U-shaped me1nbers, the legs 12, 12 and 13, 13, of wh1ch project through suitable openings in the covers, the intermediate portions 14, 15 1y+ ing on the outside of the covers. In the drawings I have illustrated the posts as of rectangular cross section although they may beef other shapes as for instance, sem1 -c1rcular. The legs or posts 12, are provided with notches or teeth 15, on their outer surfaces near the ends thereof, while the posts 13 are provided with similar teeth or notches 16, on their inner surfaces. When the posts are mounted in back-to-back relation, as shown in Fig. 2, the notches on the respective posts, appear on the outside.

As to the locking element, I provide a thin, flexible steel strip 17, having apertures 18, near the ends thereof and suitably spaced to register with the posts. The apertures are so positioned that the distance between the extremities thereof is slightly less than the normal distance between the outer extreniities of the posts 12. Projecting into the apertures 18 are tongues 19, formed by suitably slitting the strip, and the distance between the extremities of the tongues is sIightIy greater than the normal distance between the posts 13. In practice one of the cover boards is filled with sheets up to substantially the limit of the binding posts.

The locking strip 17 isthen forced over the osts and pressed down. If the board 11 is ".rst filled withsheets the metal adjacent to the apertures in the strips will engage with the notches on the outer surfaces of the binding posts and temporarily hold the sheets in position. The other cover board is then filled with sheets to the desired limit and the posts are inserted inthe apertures 18 in the strip, this necessitating the bending of the tongues 19 in the directionof movement of the posts to their final posi tion. When the two boards and their asso* ciated sheets have been tightly pressed together, the parts Will'assume the position shown in Fig. 2, from which it will be seen that the covers cannot be separated, the tongues 19 acting as dogs or pawls which prevent the retraction of the notched posts.

Furthermore, it will be noted that the locking strip is located in the body of the sheets and cannot be interfered with. By the use of the construction described the sheets may be permanently locked in place and the device for accomplishing the result may be very economically constructed.

bviously the invention is capable of much modification and I do not wish to be limited except as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a binder, the combination of covers, a post carried by each cover, said posts be ing adapted to slide past each other and be ing notched on their outer surfaces, and an apertured locking strip located substanheld between said covers adapted to be engaged by the notches in said posts.

'2. In a binder, the combination ot'a pair of covers and posts projecting therefrom, a post in each cover being adapted for sliding cooperation with a post on the other cover, said posts being notched on opposite faces and an apertured spring-strip provided with tongue adjacent said aperture, said tongue and the metal of the strip opposite to said tongue being adapted to cooperate with the notches in the posts to permanently lock a bundle of sheets between the covers. I I v 3. Ina binder, the combination of a pair of cover boards and apairoi posts projecting from each board, the posts on each board being adapted for cooperative longitudinal movement, the outer surfaces of a pair of said cooperating posts being notched or serrated, and a locking strip composed of thin spring-steel'having an aperture pro- T viding spring-engagement with the notches on said posts, said "strip being adapted to permanentlylock the boards against separation. V p

t. In a hinder, the combination of a pair ot looards, U-shaped members projecting through the boards, the legs of the memhere aetinq as JOSt-S the lens of the respective U-shaped members being adapted for cooperative longitudinalmovement and being notched on their outer surface, and

an apertured spring-metal st 'ip providing: a resilient tongue proj eting into said aperture, said tongue being adapted to be deflected and to act as a pawl to engage the notches on one of said posts and prevent separation of the posts without destruction of the locking strip.

5. A permanent lock for binders compris- 111g pair of oppositely pro ecting posts provided on one side with plane surfaces adapted or longitudinal cooperative movement and on the opposite side with serra- 1 tions, and a spring-metal strip having an aperture and a tongue projecting into said aperture, the size oi? the aperture being" less than the combined thickness of the posts whereby as the posts are forced into the aperture the tongue is dellected.

(3. A permanent locking device for hinders, comprising two pairs oi posts each post having: a plane surface adapted for longitndinal movement on a cooperating post and also provided with serrations on the opposide surface, and a metal strip having apertures spaced apart a distance less than the distance between the outsides ot the posts and provided with tongues projecting into apertures, the width of the apertures being; slightly less than the thickness of the cooperating posts whereh the tongue is caused to be deflected as the posts are received within the tongues the locking strip serving to permanently lock the sheets in place.

7. binder comprisingin emnbination cover hoards, a pair of posts projecting from said boards, said posts being shaped for coilperative relative longitudinal moveaid cooperating posts having;- notches ii faces, a metal strip having an aperre registering with the posts. said strip an;- provided with a tongue projecting I aperture adapted tor cooperation with a notched post.

Signed at Chicago, Ill., this 18th day of September, 1920.

' HERBERT H. lWILLS. 

